Ukraine, Russia, France, Germany Quadruple Talks Reaffirm 'Ceasefire Efforts'... Russia Says "No Significant Progress"

Included in the statement: "Follow-up talks in Berlin within 2 weeks"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Amid rising geopolitical tensions in Ukraine, delegations from Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany held talks and adopted a joint statement pledging to continue efforts toward a ceasefire.

According to AFP on the 26th (local time), senior officials from the four countries held a quadrilateral meeting in Paris and issued a joint statement. The statement reaffirmed the commitment of the four countries to maintain a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine and outlined plans to hold a follow-up meeting in Berlin, Germany, within two weeks.

While the French and Ukrainian sides expressed a positive stance regarding the talks, the Russian side assessed that there was no progress, revealing differences in views. A close aide to French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "This meeting was aimed at resolving the fighting by separatists in eastern Ukraine that has continued since 2014, not at addressing the threat of Russian invasion," and emphasized, "The question was whether Russia wanted to signal a thaw, and under the current circumstances, we received positive signals."

Andriy Yermak, Chief of Staff to the Ukrainian President, also stated, "The joint statement today is a meaningful document produced for the first time since the Ukraine-Russia summit in December 2019," emphasizing "support for a sustainable ceasefire is very important."

However, Dmitry Kozak, Deputy Chief of the Presidential Administration of Russia, said, "Despite all differences in interpretation, we agreed that the ceasefire must be maintained by all parties," adding, "We hope our colleagues understand our position and achieve results within two weeks," showing a difference in tone. According to Russia's Sputnik News Agency, Deputy Chief Kozak reportedly expressed the view that "there has been almost no progress in the negotiations so far, and there is nothing to boast about."